Eric Farris will be up tomorrow, and I assume3-5 more will join him after the AAA campaign ends Monday.

Farris is a 2B, but has played 10+ games at SS and LF. His only future is as a utility guy, so if he could play 3B and CF (I assume he could easily play RF if he can play LF). He does run fast, steals at about 80%, but that's about it.

He's also out of options (I think), so they'll have to decide if he's worth a 40 man spot over the winter. Given his ceiling is so low, I don't see it.

Love the blog. I also liked the line Romney had about not promising to stop the rise of the oceans.

The commentators on MSNBC couldn't believe he would bring that up because afterall, global warming and the rising of the oceans is a VERY serious problem.

I know I shouldn't watch MSNBC, but it's like passing a car accident, you don't want to look but you have to.

You are so right, the more they reach for things to make Republicans look bad, the more they turn them into rock stars.

Bert

Mitt sneakily worked in a fine point. The Dems worry about changing the US into a utopian land where everyone skips happily through the meadows filled with pretty flowers that smell good, and all the GOP offers is the promise of letting you keep more of your money if you have success.

Good luck to Cody Ransom, claimed by the D'Backs and not taken back by the Crew. Not sure if ARI feels they are in the hunt (they are 6.5 games out, heck, the Brewers are 8.5), or if they want him and hope he returns next season. A player will be added tomorrow, and possibly more than one, when rosters expand.

Since the Crew is not in the playoff hunt, I doubt they'll bring up more than 2-3 before the AAA season ends, as they want to keep a good relationship with Nashville.

I remember how a poker player logged he was staying at the Rio, which is all suites, and he thought it was really nice, but he had to stop telling people, because everyone kept telling him what a dump it was. Maybe this is what they're used to.:)

I'm all for helping the helpless, but I don't give a rat's ass about the clueless anymore.--Dennis Miller
It's the entitled and pretend disabled that irritate me. And almost everyone else.
No one is bothered by the disabled getting a small check each month. They always have, and a society is judged by how we treat our most helpless. I think it's apparent there's a big difference between them and the people who make up the majority of those receiving "disability."

Before I ran for district attorney, two Republicans invited my husband and me to lunch, and I knew a party switch was exactly what they wanted. So, I told Chuck, ``We'll be polite, enjoy a free lunch, and then say good-bye.'' But we talked about issues -- they never used the words Republican or Democrat,
conservative or liberal. We talked about many issues, like welfare, is it the way of life or hand up? Talked about size of government, how much should it tax families and small businesses? And when we left that lunch, we got in the car and I looked over at Chuck and said, ``I'll be damned. we're Republicans.''--Gov. Susana Martinez

Many people were brought up thinking Republicans were the party of the rich, so they refuse to call themselves anything but Democrats...especially in the South.

A couple stolen bases and extra bases taken could be the difference in a short series. The Reds should not hesitate to use him, as they only need 9-10 pitchers at most.

"Specialty" players are valuable if you can fit them on a roster. Years ago (like when I was young), long snappers and nickel backs were just filled by reserves...now, they're taught, drafted and scouted to fulfill these jobs.

Turned over to Paul Ryan speech after the game...nothing has changed my mind that he should be the nominee. He simply gets it. So many great lines, I feel like I'm watching a young Reagan. Twitter seems to be exploding with excitement as well.

Also of note, the Brewers have outscored their opponents by 11 runs, giving them an "expected" record of 65-63, 4 games under where they are. Last year I wondered aloud if bullpen ERA would be a good way to see if teams won more games than their runs scored/allowed would suggest, and it did not work, though the Crew's 'pen was very good, and they ended up with six more wins than they "should have."

My new thought? I wonder if bullpen ERA in just the 8th and 9th innings would work, or possibly, in "close and late" games, though I do not know if such numbers are kept for pitchers, and if they are, if they readily available.

Even moreso, it's just "small sample" enough to render meaningless.

Of course, at best, even if there is a pattern, I'm not sure how repeatable it is. KRod has been very solid, minus a month or so. How do you "plan" for that? Loe's been very close to his career norms. Parra has too, minus a two week stretch, after which he sat out for ten days or so and then has been back to his old self since, which reeks of pitching with an injury.

You might want to check my math, but I'm calculating that the 2012 Brewers are scoring 4.6 runs per game vs. the 2011 Brewers who scored 4.5 runs per game. Arguably with better defense.

I
think that narrows down the list of culprits, with the biggest ones
being in the bullpen. I also think it points to where the Brewers could
turnaround in 2013 without a ton of major moves.

Robert

Ramblings contributor Robert pops in with a note...no doubt the bullpen's low ranking is the main culprit of the sub .500 record, as the offense is above average, and the rotation has been no worse than average.

The defense ranks lower than last year using UZR and DRS, though most of that is because Weeks' numbers are horrible, and while his range seemed subpar in April, he has been back to his old self, or close to it, since May. Still, the difference of a few runs over the course of 162 has not made much difference.

As for '13, the offense certainly projects to be top half. The bullpen is by far the easiest thing to fix, but the thing is, relievers tend to be a bit of a small sample...a couple bad outings can skew their numbers for an entire season. As I have said often, the young pitching will be a key...right now, it's Gallardo, Fiers...and other guys with talent who do not project badly...but we have no idea who will fill the spots. Many will look at it as a bit of a "bridge season," but obviously, there's quite a difference if a veteran like Greinke or Edwin Jackson is the final SP, or if it's Tyler Thornburg or another youngster who projects with a 5.25 ERA; not to mention 40-50 fewer IP.

3rd in runs scored (just behind #2 COL, and probably 2nd if you factor in home ballpark)
9th in SP ERA
13th in RP ERA

Not to mention, the SP's would likely rank 6th or 7th had Greinke not been traded, and the team was in contention.

Brewers believe OF Khris Davis will get to majors via bat but limited to LF
defensively. Might Ryan Braun switch to RF sometime in future--JS

That's a smart man's question...someone must have mentioned this to Tom H, whose idea of intelligence is wondering if two AB's is enough to make a long-term decision. Davis is in the midst of a breakout season, but as I mentioned when I saw him in Appleton, he has the weakest arm I've ever seen. Here's what I said about him two years ago:

Advanced bat for this level, good
power-hitting RH. Took 2B on a WP that barely bounced in front of the
plate. Extremely weak arm, on play at the plate, one-hopped the cut-off
man.

That said, Bill S is correct, the bat plays. I wonder if his season is a bit of a fluke, as 300 PA's, while not a small sample, is barely half of a "normal" MLB year of 550. That said, Huntsville is a very tough place to hit, and a .450 OBP is impressive if you're hitting off a tee.

As for Braun, it's up to him. Ryan has made himself into a quality LF, and he certainly has the tools to play RF (he could play CF, as he's certainly speedy enough).

I'd claim Joe Mauer in a second and put him at 1B or RF. It's a huge risk, given his salary, but I'd be happy to take a chance on a guy in his prime who gets on 40% of the time. His power numbers would skyrocket in Miller Park as well.

While I'm sure 2016 is a film I'd enjoy, that's just preaching to the choir. Hopefully, some indys will attend, and more importantly, those people who went to the movie will put in some time making phone calls and knocking on doors.

May you live in interesting times. Jim Rogers, who is probably the world's second best known investor, has been buying acreage in South America by the thousands and millions of acres (hectares) for a decade, and has been advising others to do so as well.

Gov. Scott Walker was interrupted by a huge sustained ovation from
GOP delegates inside the convention hall as he tried to announce
Wisconsin’s votes for Mitt Romney in the roll call of the states Tuesday
night.

When he was finally able to speak, Walker touted his state as the
home of the NFL’s MVP (Aaron Rodgers), the home of Major League
Baseball’s MVP (referring to National League MVP Ryan Braun) , the home
of Miss America, the home of RNC chair Reince Priebus, but “most
importantly, someone I know as the bravest person I know in politics,
the most courageous and yet the most decent, the next vice president of
United States, Paul Ryan.”--JS

He is a bonafide rock star, thanks to those foolhardy Dems.

Still waiting on that check to pay for the recall, by the way. It's not the law, but it's the decent thing to do...especially considering how much more damn polite and civil they are than us.

Mom also came from nothing. She was raised by a single mother who took three buses to get to work every day. And mom spent the time she was supposed to be a kid actually raising children - her two younger siblings. She was tough as nails and didn't suffer fools at all. The truth was she couldn't afford to. She spoke the truth - bluntly, directly and without much varnish.
I am her son.--Chris Christie
Thank God for Mrs. Christie.

Bianchi may not hit much, but he can plays an adequate SS, so he doesn't need to. He'll have a long career as at least a utility infielder.

He has options, so he may well spend next season in AAA, barring a Segura regression. He also has never played 3B, so he should get in some reps there at some point. I assume Gamel or Green will be on the roster next year, also assuming Ramirez returns.

Whatever
else history may say about me when I'm gone, I hope it will record that
I appealed to your best hopes, not your worst fears, to your confidence
rather than your doubts. My dream is that you will travel the road
ahead with liberty's lamp guiding your steps and opportunity's arm
steadying your way. My fondest hope for each one of you—and especially
for the young people here—is that you will love your country, not for
her power or wealth, but for her selflessness and her idealism. May each
of you have the heart to conceive, the understanding to direct, and the
hand to execute works that will make the world a little better for your
having been here.--President Reagan, 1992 RNC

This is why so many people my age have leaned Republican our entire lives.

Hilarious watching the casual bloggers on Twitter embarrass themselves as they try and make strategic moves and cite stats that are 100% incorrect.

Especially so when they say Loe is terrible versus LH hitters. He used to be, but has been very solid since 2011. When you don't pay attention for an entire season and five months, it's tough to take your crap seriously.

The Rambling wife went out with friends for dinner after work. Went to one of the Wausau areas highly rated restaurants, Basil. $12 for chicken stir-fry with noodles. Just got home, complained of being hungry, made popcorn.

EDIT: Twitter is pointing out Marcum has not yet been through waivers.Also, any team could claim Marcum just to block LA's interest...though at the moment, no other true wildcard contenders in the NL have a worse record.

Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I've done it thousands of times.--Mark Twain

Heh. I just realized if Twain was live today, he'd be considered a racist and evil. Makes me sad.And the old media would lead the charge with mock disgust...because they're far, far better than him...in their minds.

Today we stopped at the grocery store to pick up a couple items before we brought Culver's home. The Rambling son grabbed a cart and was following me, and I stopped...and he did not notice. Slam into the back of my ankle with the cart.

I leaned forward and put my hands on my knees, groaning. Another shopper looked at me and said, "Are you OK?" I never answered, I just walked away. Later, I spoke about leaving space between people and taking your time, paying attention, and mainly, how he could have seriously injured a small child if he had hit one instead of me.

Just now, I mentioned to the Rambling son how much it had hurt. With disgust in his voice, he responded, "Ah, if it hurts so much, go to bed."

No sympathy to be had in this house.All that was missing was him telling me to rub some dirt on it.

I talk about this every year, but the best tennis on the planet is in the evenings at the US Open. It begins tomorrow, and it goes two weeks...but the best tennis is almost found during the first week. I have a special soft spot for the evening sessions on the first weekend...CBS takes the more well known players for their afternoon programming, and the players left to play at night often are far more equal and this often leads to a long, thrilling match.

ESPN2 has the action this year, and most weekdays, will carry live tennis from 11AM-11PM...or until the matches end. The Tennis Channel carries some live action as well, they are just limited to certain courts, and on the first weekend which I spoke of so highly.

How do post deadline trades work? I don't understand how the red sox and dodgers can make a trade like that?

Scott

I replied to Scott, the other day, but figured many are thinking the same thing. Best link I found is here.
The thing to remember is, most players easily clear waivers, as there's no incentive for teams to claim cheap, effective players...they will be taken off. Also, teams can't claim everyone...they have to make room for them if they do pass through. So, with players being put on waivers heavily, teams can only claim a few.

Brewers
pitching leads the majors in strikeouts. I don't think I've seen
anyone mention that before. Their pitching has been bad but there are
some highlights.

Overall, they are 23rd in ERA and 24th in WHIP.
I don't recall seeing a pitching staff that missed that many bats get
hit as hard as they do. Usually its combined with lots of walks but the
Brewers staff isn't that bad at that. Thoughts?

Steve

They are actually close to the all-time MLB record, about 10 under the pace as of today. Steve must not watch the games, as Bill and Brian have mentioned it of late.

There's no doubt strikeouts and good pitching go together...you can't give up cheap hits if they miss it. However, as Billy Beane pointed out years ago, K's take at least three pitches, and often quite a lot more. He called it "a pound of flesh," as they wear down the pitcher than a routine grounder or fly ball. Sure, it hardly ever results in a baserunner, but I've pointed out often (I'm the only one who has noticed, it would seem) that the SP's are near the bottom of the league in IP (13th of 16 in the NL, and only 11 innings ahead of the 15th place Cubs, the Rockies' experiment renders this stat meaningless for them), which means more innings for the 'pen, which often results in two bad things:

1. Fatigue.

2. More innings for the worst arms.

Greinke is dominating when he's on, and gets all the headlines. That said, in the past three years:

Marcum--3.52 ERA, 6.19 IP/G
Greinke--3.98 ERA, 6.29 IP/G

Shaun has been more effective, even though he does it without the great stuff. You'd think Zack would get a couple more outs a start, but he doesn't, probably due to pitch counts. This is even more pronounced when you figure Marcum had major arm surgery in 2009 and has been very limited, rarely going over 100-110 pitches.

Food prices going up? Funny, I have not heard a peep about it in the old media.

Check your ads, and go to Wal Mart and price match. You will easily save 20-30%. And you know what? I've been price matching uncooked pasta for 99 cents a box for the past six months. It's always on sale somewhere.

Brewers clear a spot on the 40 by outrighting McClendon to Nashville. Very likely this was done to make room for one of the kids to come up in September, and/or to clear a spot for a youngster they hope to acquire for Marcum/KRod.

Too bad for Mike, as I'm sure he was hoping to come back when rosters expand...that's worth about $75K now, huge money for a minor league veteran.

He's not the same pitcher he was two years ago. He
doesn't seem like he throws as hard. It doesn't seem like he has the
command of his pitches like he used to. ... Has he pitched a lot of
innings? I don't know. Are there other issues? I don't know that,
either. I just look at the results.--Don Money, on Mike McClendon

No doubt Money was replaced for his pathetic refusal to use facts, hence, this rambling diatribe of nothingness. Money could easily check velocities in five minutes, but he chooses not to, and be grumpy.

Too bad, as I'm sure he has a lot to teach about hitting and defense. Too bad he doesn't use those gifts.

I used to work from home when I was in sales, and I never accomplished anything. Tough to make sales calls when you can ogle Dr. Oz's daughter on The Chew or laughing at Frank say "Holy crap!" on Raymond for the 5Kth time.

Destroying workplace productivity on a Friday afternoon...how antiperspirants (and deodorant) overcame a rough beginning and is now used by almost everyone.

I wish they'd come up with one that doesn't melt in the car. I often have to reapply halfway through the day, because I'm so damn masculine. I still just use deo, because I'm still not sure it's good for you not to sweat.

I would agree. As the brilliant Rudy G said when some suggested skipping the New Year's Eve Times Square celebration because of a possible terrorist attack,

Look, I'm anti-smoking, I'm thrilled restaurants and bars are smoke free. But, I do not pretend to know what's right for all. If you wish to smoke, have unsafe sex, not wear a seat belt, sleep in weeds filled with snakes and bugs, and so on, more power to you.

And as I've pointed out, it goes against the American system that you can all the sex you want for free, but if you dare make a nickel on it, it's illegal. The days of throwing money away trying to ensure Mona gets a good job instead of $50 a trick is long gone.

The idea the nanny state can control bad habits and ideas is exactly why the government can accomplish a damn thing except lose money. Make the streets safe, control crime, and if the worst we have to contend with is teen smoking, so be it.

Those of you that have been here a while will remember posts like this before.

That said, I don't care.

The Rambling dog has been having some "tummy trouble," the Rambling wife woke up at 3AM to find him pacing the hall, so she let him outside. This morning, the Rambling son cleaned up an accident, and then later found where he had thrown up.

So, we've been through this before, usually once or twice a year. Twice, it's lasted a few days and we've put him on a rice and protein concoction for a couple weeks. But, all the advice is the same...withhold food for 24 hours, and then feed him lightly for a day or two. This gives his stomach a chance to heal, and even our old neighbor, who was also a vet assistant, agreed. Still, considering he's never missed a meal (heck, or even eaten slowly) by choice in 12.5 years, that's easier said than done. It doesn't help we feed him four tiny meals a day to make it easier for him to digest...on a normal day, he eats around 7, 12, 5, and 10...as much as he sleeps, it probably seems like he's always eating.

Lot of love in our old dog. This also brings up thoughts we hate to have, including the inevitable, and that none of us get healthier as we get older. Dogs are an incredible blessing, but one gets the feeling it might be a sad end of the road.

It is free men and women that drive our economy. Freedom is what makes
America work. And President Obama, bless his heart, has tried to
substitute government for free people–and it has not worked, and it will
never work--Mitt Romney

I'd be supporting the GOP nominee if it were Barney Fife, but he is sure paraphrasing me a lot of late. The government loses $50M a day delivering half as much mail as they had 30 years ago. They ain't fixing nothing.

I know I'm in the solid minority (though not as much as people think, probably 1/3rd of the GOP is pro-choice), but I feel eventually, the party that believes in limited government and less government intervention will come around to my viewpoint...abortion before the "baby" is viable is outside the womb is a shame, in most cases pathetic...but none of our business. I think we'd be much better off focusing on making adoption more affordable (removing legal obstacles would lower the price immensely), fully tax deductible, and actually mentioned as an alternative at Planned Parenthood than making it illegal. Seriously, no one is talking about putting anyone having an abortion in prison anyway.

And yes, I realize I'm mirroring Bill Clinton's "safe, legal, and rare" comment. I think he got it right.

However, terminating a pregnancy in that last trimester...many babies are being born at 6-7 months and surviving/thriving, for any other reason other than saving the life of the mother...I'm sorry, I just don't know what planet you're from. Do the freakin' math.

It always is funny when people find their boorish behavior surprising. If I didn't have a job and had endless piles of cash, I'd have spent the entire decade of my 20's just like Harry. That doesn't make it right, or any less of a waste of hard earned cash. Heaven forbid business owners hire an extra person with money that they, you know, made themselves.

I forgot to mention it last night, but I don't see Tony Campana with the Cubs. He only does two things well, run and defend, but as a 5th OF who is rarely needed to start (and well down the list of PH's), he'd be a nice role player. His SB success is remarkable 91% (50/55), so he can get into scoring position if used as a PR without using an out (Gomez is 79%, and catchers hardly ever get him, only pitchers). His OBP is right around .300, so his value at the plate is minimal.

I have kind of penciled in Schafer to back up Gomez and pick up a start or two a week (more if Carlos struggles) versus tough RHP, but I do like Campana if they feel Logan should play everyday in AAA (or if Aoki can play CF 1-2 times a week, freeing up Tony to be available on the bench.

When the day comes they expand the rosters to 27, many teams will carry a guy like Campana. I think the Red Sox added Joey Gathright two different years to do this in September and the playoffs. Brewers' fans may recall Mel Stocker doing just this a couple different seasons as well.

Watching the game on DVR, I'm a bit surprised by Wolf's release, though as with all things Doug, there's probably a plan in place.

1. I thought they might need him to pick up some starts after others get shut down.

2. As BA said, I have little doubt teams will talk to him, as he would likely be a nice addition as a 6th SP (if you have makeup games), a reliever, and especially so if you don't play in a HR happy place like Miller Park.

3. Heck, I'd love to have him next year, as unless he retires, as he'll only get a minor league contract or a 1y/$1M after a tough '12. A vet like him would be a nice piece (much like I envision Livian Hernandez will be, if he is back) to take the pressure off a young staff.

Of course, some of it may be related to his inability to work with Lucroy, though the result the other night was predictably painful. I have no idea if Wolf is an arrogant guy who insists on calling his own game, if Lucroy is just a dumb redneck, or some combo platter of the two. I doubt we'd hear anything about it, as Doug never says a negative word about anyone.

I think a team or two might well have called and said they'd like Wolf, but wanted to give nothing. If no player or no partial salary was forthcoming, they might have just let Randy choose where he ends up himself...or maybe there is little interest.

They just said that Wolf worked out before the game with the Crew, so there seems to be little animosity, and that the A's (who play home games in a mammoth ballpark, have a tiny budget, and have George Kottaras) lost Bartolo Colon to a suspension today. That would almost make too much sense to ever happen.

The lack of outcry from the old media was deafening, by the way. Brady has every right to say it, and as I said then, a greater crime was that it wasn't funny, as many roast jokes were offensive, to blacks, women, gays, and others. I certainly would not be bothered if they told a joke about fat Caucasians, but that's the new law of the land...be offended, be very offended.

I have to wonder how many people realize that writers, like Jeff Ross, write nearly all the jokes for "celebs" at those roasts.

After all that Akin STILL leads McCaskill, 44-43. Little difference from our last poll which was Akin 45-44.--PPP

Several GOP women (SE Cupp and Ann Coulter both wrote columns) called for Akin to step down. I would probably agree, but it's tough to drop out when you're ahead.

He said something stupid, but so did Clinton when he denied having sexual relations with Lewinsky, and then committed perjury lying about it again. One vote in the Senate might be the difference between the 2nd Amendment being weakened and/or Obamacare being repealed. That's a mighty tough call.

PPP is a very friendly with the Dems, by the way. That may indicate he's ahead by 3-4.

Rogers likely to be done soon. Fiers and Estrada likely to not pitch late in September either. Doug mentioned Wily Peralta and Thornburg on FSW tonight, said they have plenty of innings left, and both pitching well.

Saturday night, the Rambling wife was out on the deck talking on the phone, and she noticed what looked like bees flying around by a vent out of our utility room. It was already dark, so when the game went to commercial, I took my long shooting bee killer poison bottle and shot it into the hole. I did not see any bugs of any kind.

Sunday morning, when she walked into the utility room, there were dozens of dead bodies on the floor. I sprayed the rest of the poison, and actually went to the hardware store and bought two more, and coated the outside with it three more times...still bees flying around, and there's a couple dozen dazed ones floating around inside.

Those are tough creatures. Amazing we never even noticed them all summer.

One of the most amazing things I've heard in a long time...the Giants knew about Melky's positive test a month plus ago, before anyone else did, before the trade deadline.

And, they now have Gregor Blanco starting in LF. Really. He's a decent 5th OF, but LF is the second most important offensive spot. There are plenty of better options available even now, Nyjer Morgan for one, and he's in the bottom half.

Astros are going through a complete "tear down and build it back up" rebuild. Odds are, they'll use at least two more managers before they're any good.

Whoever is hired next will have the same expected life span as the first boyfriend of a woman who was married ten years and just got divorced. That's a very weak major league club, with little help at the upper levels. They are 4-5 years away from being this year's Pirates...if things go well.

All but assured the Crew's choice of relievers tonight has something to do with showcasing arms for the trade market. Loe pitches 2 frames for the first time in ages, and KRod going a 2nd night in a row.

KRod looks better than ever, by the way. One has to wonder if he was banged up and he has healed up/taken a cortisone shot since.He has had three days or more in a row off twice since he was eminently hittable...he might have needed rest or something to ease the pain. He'd be a steal for a team to pick up for use as a middle reliever if he's back to "normal."

Mom, I’m proud of you for the small business you created. You DID build that!--Paul Ryan
They should buy tons of ad time and run that clip over and over, in 15 second spots. It's so distinctly American, and a positive message.
And, it's the opposite of our president, who goes out of his way to put down his country every chance he gets.

It may have started before Andy Cooper started reporting fiction that told the story he wanted to tell, even if it was not true.

But that is the main culprit. People, like me, get really, really mad when some total buffoon lies, cheats, and steals, and his "punishment" is a halfhearted apology a month later, his own primetime show, and the old media celebrating his terrible reporting by calling him a hunk.

I haven't watched a second of CNN in a decade. It's a far-left joke, and everyone knows it. It's not even good enough that the far-left bother, as they have MSNBC and the networks.

I get this e-mail at least once a month. Reagan lowered the tax rate overall which led to basically a 30+ year period of economic growth (with the always present booms and busts, but overall, it is as close to a straight line upward as you will find).

Heck, I'd happily raise some sin taxes and what I would call user fees if I were made king. But overall, taking money from hard working taxpayers and giving it to the government to squander is rarely a positive idea.

Fools thinking Marilyn Monroe was fat is why I think we need to stop listening to the fashion/looks advice of gay men (not that there's anything wrong with that).

As for weight, which I haven't discussed in a while. I was down 6 more pounds this week, meaning I have lost 65 since early this year. I still look like Gleeman's before picture, and I have no desire to get to 170 like him (I haven't weighed 170 since I was 14, and I never will).

--I have been enjoying a sandwich or two a day, ham/turkey/salami/swiss on dark rye bread, about 400 calories each, along with lean protein (we had roast beef one evening, rotisserie chicken once, and so on).

--I have not been exercising except I stand more at work, and usually once or twice a day, I end up doing some sort of lifting/moving while at work.

--As always, tons of water and diet pop.

--Not a single person has noticed , which means I am still quite fat. The Rambling wife added two more holes to my belt a few weeks ago with one of my scrapbooking tools, and I'm now always in the last one.

--And, I still almost always have a free day, Sunday usually, when I just eat whatever. We have Taco Bell on the menu tomorrow, as that's the Rambling son's favorite.

The outing was more impressive considering Gallardo pitched Friday with
family matters in the back of his mind. A relative's illness called him
home to Ft. Worth, Texas, immediately after the game, but he is expected
back Monday and will make his start as scheduled Wednesday against the
Cubs.--Brewers.com

Not to mention, Harry Reid has done nothing to dispel the rumor he's a pedophile. His staff won't even comment on it! Google it! Harry Reid pederast is the 3rd most searched for Harry Reid item...hmmm.

Transparent? Heh.

Fight like a girl. Pull hair, call them fat, and spread rumors they are not just a slut, but have an eating disorder.

The strange thing about Strasburg's artificial limit is they could have done a dozen things to have him throw fewer innings...skip a start when they have an off day, move him to the bullpen for a month, or as I would have done, just limit him to 5 innings.

One of my favorite events of late...old media lies about tea party, makes them seem somehow bad, yet proudly talks up the Occupy losers, who end up vandalizing, committing rape, and trespassing, putting good, family run places out of business. Old media tries to ignore crimes and mayhem Occupy caused, which, as I predicted, died because they disliked cold weather and the druggies got bored and arrested and moved on to other dirty deeds.

Meanwhile, tea party still going strong, working hard for fiscal sanity, and not committing a single crime. Occupy was worse than the stories they made up about the tea party!

I have not been writing much about the Brewers, and to be blunt, they are in fact just playing out the string. I still watch the games and enjoy them, but the excitement is far moreso in seeing how the players who will still be around next year are looking...and if just possibly, a guy like KRod can put it together enough to have a contender give the Crew a live arm or a project for the rights to him.

4th in runs scored
9th in SP ERA
15th in RP ERA

The good news, most of the offense will be back, and Segura will be 23, hopefully still improving, and the bench should be stronger, with some combo of Green, Gamel, Maldonado, and Schafer.

More god news? The bullpen has been the weak point, but that not only turns over the most each season (I expect only Axford and Henderson to return (and Jim has three options), though I would not mind Parra/Loe/Veras at the right price), but for the most part, is a very cheap area to put together, except for closers.

Obviously, the big question mark right now for the '13 version is the rotation, as Gallardo/Fiers/Estrada will probably be a part of it, and the rest really is not known. I'd also expect Rogers to be in the bigs if healthy. That's a lot of unknowns, to say the least. Compared to the boredom of the past offseason, when about 22 guys had spots sewn up, it will be a unique opportunity to add talent, and they should have substantial funds to do so, barring Greinke returning, and maybe even if they do sign a top SP (I estimated they have about $62.5M spent with 7 spots to fill here).

I'm three hours away from Miller Park, but if I was closer, I'd be taking advantage of Stub Hub and other cheap ticket options, as those days have been few and far between the past few years.

You can sense it, but at this point, after 3.5 Carteresque years, and Obama is still even in the polls, you gotta wonder. African-Americans are going to pull the lever at a 95%+ clip for him (though one wonders if they will turn out as much as in '08). Romney will have to pick up vast amount of Caucasians and others, and it seems unlikely Latinos will flock to the party, as they may have a bit had Rubio been the VP nominee.

Last week, there was talk about Castro being benched, and I commented the Crew had a spot for him.

No such luck with Theo in charge. Panic and shortsighted silliness is a thing of the past at Wrigley. I seriously think they may have a dynasty in a couple seasons. As soon as the Soriano and other contracts of the previous regime expire, watch out.

Tommy Thompson has finally built up a substantial lead after being nearly even with Eric Hovde all evening, up 11K with 60% of the vote in. Congrats to Tommy, whose reign as WI governor was debt free and full of reforms (welfare, unions).

I will also this, I'm sure many people think the Crew will sign a reliever or two. I agree. In fact, many solid set-up men may be drawn to MIL due to the unsettled closer situation.

This is similar (as it is exactly the opposite) to the fact Doug has tried to sign a spot starter/long reliever for depth the past couple years and had no luck at all, because all five spots in the rotation were full. Money and opportunity are the two things free agents look for, and the Brewers have both.

Seriously, birds die in large groups all the time, it's happened several times just in the past few years. I believe the most common cause is loud noises startle the birds in large groups, and since their brain is the size of a pinhead, they run into things.

I posted a brief recap of Doug's interview with Bill Michaels a couple days ago.

One thing jumped out at me...Doug seemed to indicate he is happy with the position players, and is going to go with several young pitchers on the staff in '13.

I believe him, Doug does not lie, but he sometimes does not tell the whole truth either. As I try and read between the lines a bit, one thing does not add up...the roster Doug is proposing, will cost only a fraction of what the '12 roster does...Mark A has said he does not plan a "tear it down first" rebuild.

I, of course, have no idea if these guys will be on the '13 roster, but they all make sense, and they all add up to $62.65M, and they are 18 of 25 (though I doubt Narveson will be ready to go). Considering Peralta, Thornburg, and other young arms will be given opportunity to make the team, that would seem to leave vast amounts of payroll for one of two things:

A slugging 1B/RF, or a top of the rotation SP.

As happy as he is with Hart at 1B, and as hard as they went after Greinke, I'd expect the latter.

Who is available other than Zack?

Ervin Santana and Edwin Jackson. Santana is having a down season, though much of it seems to be bad luck. Also, Shawn Marcum being injured may keep his price and years down, and he has said he loves the Midwest.

His common sense, quit spending so damn much money message will hopefully appeal to moderates, indys, and conservative Dems. That is, of course, assuming the old media doesn't manage to make his Midwestern work ethic into proof he's an idiot...despite the fact Joe Biden's reign as VP has been one gaffe after another.

For the second election in a row, I wish the dynamic speaker and one that excites people was on top of the ticket.

Team Obama actually blamed Mr. Romney for the tragic cancer death of a
woman named Ranae Soptic. Here’s its twisted logic: In 1999, Mitt
Romney left Bain Capital. In 2001, a Bain company called GST Steel that
had employed Mrs. Soptic’s husband, Joe, closed its doors. In 2006, Mrs.
Soptic was diagnosed with end-stage lung cancer and soon died. Never
mind that Mrs. Soptic had her own insurance from her employer rather
than purchasing it through her husband’s employer. Never mind that Mr.
Romney had stepped aside seven years before Mrs. Soptic’s horrible
diagnosis. It’s Mitt’s fault!

But it gets worse.

When confronted
with these facts, the Obama campaign — and there’s no easy way to put
this — did not tell the truth. It was caught red-handed. Recognizing the
radioactive and demonstrably dishonest claims put forward by the
Obama-friendly super PAC Priorities USA, top officials in both the Obama
campaign and the White House falsely claimed that they were unaware of
the patently dishonest Soptic story. Bald-faced falsehoods and
falsehoods about falsehoods. The Obama campaign has been touting the
false Soptic story on its own website since May and a conference-call
recording surfaced of Team Obama discussing the fallacy.--Washington Times

That sound you hear is the administration throwing mud against the wall, and praying something sticks.

8/13/2012 01:00:00 PM

These are the good old days. Some folks are just too busy wishing the streets were paved with gold to enjoy the good times.

Whatever strikes me as
interesting, and serious Milwaukee Brewers thoughts. If you are a believer
in respecting OBP, throwing strikes, and keeping the ball in the park,
you may have found the place you've been searching for. I believe in low taxes, small government, and am not afraid to be labeled patriotic. If you are interested in sausage race results, walk up music, or professional wrestling, you may wish to click elsewhere.

I'm happy to pay taxes to help the helpless. I don't like paying taxes to help the clueless. Look at the Occupy movement...I'm forced to pay taxes to help those whose plight I delight in.--Dennis Miller

If you choose the path of terror, your life will be empty, and your life will be brief.--President Trump

Never have lives less lived been more chronicled.--Dennis Miller

I’m going to plead with you, do not cross us. Because if you do, the survivors will write about what we do here for 10,000 years.--Mad Dog Mattis

I have never understood why it is "greed" to want to keep the money you have earned but not greed to want to take somebody else's money.--Thomas Sowell